Melbourne Demons supporters are yearning for a grand final victory they can witness in person, as the club faces the prospect of a second consecutive straight-sets finals exit. The Demons’ 2021 premiership, won in Perth during COVID lockdowns, was celebrated by few fans at the ground, leaving a sense of incompleteness.
Ergonomist Ted Dohrmann, a lifelong Demons fan, decorated his home with posters and murals in 2021 but could not attend the grand final. “In many respects, 2021 was like missing the birth of your first child,” he said. “It’s wonderful they arrived, but you never thought it would be something you would have to watch on Channel Seven.”
Captain Max Gawn echoed those sentiments, telling the Herald Sun he felt a sense of hollowness that his parents, who endured his lowest moments, missed his biggest triumph. “That is something I would like to do,” Gawn said. “Celebrate it with the people who mean so much to me.”
The Demons now risk becoming the first club to exit consecutive finals in straight sets under the current system, introduced in 2000, if they lose to Carlton in Friday night’s semi-final. Inaccurate kicking cost them against Collingwood in the qualifying final, while injuries and suspensions have weakened the side, with Angus Brayshaw concussed, Jacob van Rooyen suspended, and Jake Melksham injured.
The “curse of the red fox” — stemming from the sacking of coach Norm Smith in 1965 — may yet have a final twist: that only a small percentage of long-suffering fans have witnessed recent triumphs in person. The Demons’ AFLW flag was also won last November in Brisbane with limited crowd capacity.
